Soul Music

The song “Two Lovers” was written and produced by Smokey Robinson. It was released, performed by Mary Wells,  on the Motown Record label in 1962. At first we think the singer has two boyfriends, but we come to understand that the one boyfriend can be “sweet and kind” but sometimes also make her cry. The song went to #1 on the R&B chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The recording features some great singing (lead and backgrounds) by a teenage Mary Wells. The background vocals are by The Love Tones (Joe Miles and Stan Bracely with Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations), and instrumentation is provided by session musicians The Funk Brothers.

There have been a number of covers of the song, including versions by Louise Cordet (with Jimmy Page), Steve Goodman, and Dolly Parton. The song was also featured on The Disney Channel in a D-TV video with clips from the cartoon “Mickey’s Rival” (1936).

Here are the lyrics to “Two Lovers” by Mary Wells:

“Well, I’ve got two lovers and I ain’t ashamed
Two lovers and I love them both the same

Let me tell you ’bout my first lover
He’s sweet and kind and he’s mine all mine
He treats me good like a lover should
And makes me love him I really, really love him, oh I love him so
And I’ll do everything I can to let him know

But I’ve got two lovers and I ain’t ashamed
Two lovers and I love them both the same

Let me tell you ’bout my other lover
Well, you know, he treats me bad, makes me sad
Makes me cry but still I can’t deny
That I love him, I really, really love him, oh I love him so
And I’ll do everything I can to let him know

Darlin’, well, don’t you know that I can tell
Whenever I look at you that you think that I’m untrue?
‘Cause I say that I love two but I really, really do
‘Cause you’re a split personality
And in reality, both of them are you, baby

Well, I’ve got two lovers and I ain’t ashamed
Two lovers and I love them both the same
Two lovers and I ain’t ashamed”

For more songs by Mary Wells: “The One Who Really Loves You” and “My Guy,” which is on The Daily Doo Wop’s sister site Pass the Paisley.

For More Golden Oldies Music       

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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